I recently read an article about the dead in Los Angeles who remain unclaimed by loved ones.

After three years, their remains are sent to a crematorium at the Los Angeles County Cemetery, which has cremated more than 100,000 unclaimed bodies since 1896.

The article noted that the annual number of unclaimed individuals has doubled since the 1970s. More people are dying alone with no loved ones to bury them.

This notion of being unclaimed stands in stark contrast to the promise of the Church, where everyone belongs in community, even in death.

From Roman catacombs to U.S. graveyards surrounding churches, Christians buried their dead together for centuries. Those who worshipped within those communities in life remain close to one another in death. These churches understood that when the trumpet sounds, they will all rise together, so they stayed together. No one was unclaimed.

If God claimed you for Jesus, the church claimed you as family.

In Scripture

We translate “church” from the Greek ekklesia, which means “assembly” or “gathering.”

Christians may have taken the word from the Septuagint or Greek Old Testament, where ekklesia translated the Hebrew qahal for the assembly of Israel. The other Greek word for qahal was “synagogue,” which already described local Jewish gatherings.

Greeks used this word to describe political assemblies, where citizens were “called out” (ek kaleo) or summoned to vote on decisions affecting their cities.

In Acts 19, a pagan crowd, stirred up by idol makers, gathers in Ephesus to accuse Paul of defaming their goddess. The city clerk brings order by warning that their gathering is not a legal ekklesia and raising the prospect of insurrection charges (verses 39–40).

An ekklesia gathered for a purpose under proper authority; otherwise, it was just a mob.

The Church gathers by God’s will. It does not assemble itself. Church is not about following personalities, experiencing social connection, or even maintaining tradition. God calls together the Church for His divine purposes (1 Corinthians 1:2).

Over half the occurrences of ekklesia appear in Paul’s epistles. Paul consistently uses ekklesia to name the local gathering of Christians in a specific place.

When writing to Christians who meet in more than one location within the same geographic area, Paul pluralizes the word (1 Corinthians 16:19; Galatians 1:2,22).

Sometimes Paul addresses each church individually based on the house where people gather (Romans 16:5; Colossians 4:15).

Paul also employs the word “church” to indicate one Body of believers in relationship to Jesus (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18).

Thus, the Church exists as one community in Christ from the standpoint of heaven, but on earth, we can find that community only in a local gathering of believers.

If, as on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, there were only one assembly of believers on earth, that gathering would be enough to represent the heavenly reality of one community in Christ.

All who are in Christ belong to the same Church, even as they gather physically in different locations. And each local church should be enough to represent our shared heavenly reality in Christ.

Jesus provides the Church with its marching orders. In Matthew 28:19–20, Jesus gave the Church a mission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

As believers moved from Jerusalem to other locations, the gospel spread, and the Church made new disciples (Acts 11:19–21).

Christ’s mission includes the maturing of believers. When Christians assemble, God calls them to act in such a way that they edify or build up the entire community (1 Corinthians 14:26).

Christian maturity means acting like Christ, who lived faithfully and sacrificially on our behalf.

Throughout the New Testament, Christ followers were called to the same lifestyle and attitude (Matthew 16:24; John 15:12–13; Philippians 2:1–11; 1 Peter 2:21–23).

Jesus prayed for the unity of all believers “so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21).

A unified Church makes the gospel believable. As congregations preach reconciliation with God, they should also demonstrate reconciliation with one another (2 Corinthians 5:20; 6:11–13).

Church is not
about following personalities, experiencing social connection, or
even maintaining tradition. God calls together the Church for His divine purposes
(1 Corinthians 1:2).

Jesus commissioned His followers to make disciples of all nations, build up one another in community, and live in unity so that others would believe in Him.

Where Jesus calls, He also empowers. He promised to send the Spirit to testify of the gospel alongside them (John 15:26–27).

From the right hand of God, Jesus poured out His Spirit at Pentecost, enabling every believer to bear witness to Him (Acts 1:8; 2:33).

The empowerment itself is testimony that Jesus is Lord (Acts 2:33). Spirit baptism acts as both evidence and enablement for that message.

Believers share in the work of the Holy Spirit, who governs, guides, and gifts the Church to fulfill its purpose in Christ.

The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus; assures believers of salvation; provides direction through prophecies, discernment, and deliberation; and distributes gifts for the edification of the Body (Acts 11:28–29; 15:28; 1 Corinthians 12:4; 14:29; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13–14). Every local church, then, becomes a community of the Spirit.

A congregation that shares in the Spirit also exercises the giftings of the Spirit. The local church remains the primary place and occasion for this.

Without a physical gathering, there is limited possibility for believers to share ministry. And without the mutual edification of believers through the exercise of spiritual gifts, there is less potential for spiritual growth.

When a church comes together, each member can exercise his or her spiritual gifts for the common good (1 Corinthians 14:26). The New Testament speaks not only to the nature and mission of the Church, but also its way of ministry.

Ministry belongs to the entire congregation, which is called to do good works in service of others (Ephesians 2:10). This includes the call to evangelism and discipleship (Matthew 28:19–20), worship (Colossians 3:16), and compassion (Galatians 2:10).

At the same time, God provides ministries and ministers to lead the Church in its greater mission.

Paul identifies five such ministers as gifts of Christ: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11).

The point of this passage, though, is not to identify a comprehensive list of ministers, but to highlight their collective purpose: “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith” (verses 12–13).

Jesus gives ministers to the church to guide and prepare the congregation for its own ministry, maturity, and unity in the faith. One can measure the spiritual health of a church and its leadership by the congregation’s growth in ministry, maturity and unity.

In the pastoral epistles, Paul also identifies three other kinds of ministry leaders: overseers, elders and deacons.

Overseers or “bishops” functioned in Greek culture as treasurers of communities, managing shared resources. Elders or “presbyters” were recognized for their maturity in the faith. Deacons or “ministers” could signify individuals with a variety of different responsibilities.

Over time, these words came to describe a ministry hierarchy in the Church.

In History

The Church underwent a period of institutionalization early in its history. By the end of the second century, each church was led by one bishop overseeing multiple presbyters or priests and deacons.

In the West, a hierarchy emerged among the bishops themselves, with the bishop in Rome claiming the top role.

The Protestant Reformation rejected papal authority — and, in some cases, even the office of bishop in place of presbyters and congregations. In many Protestant churches, the leading minister held no title higher than that of pastor, with deacons and elders serving in some capacity.

Reformers continued to limit offices of leadership to men, however.

The New Testament bears witness to women and men serving in a variety of roles, including apostle (Peter and Junia); prophet (Agabus and the daughters of Philip); evangelist (Philip and Syntyche); teacher (Aquila and Priscilla); and deacon (Stephen and Phoebe).

Pastors and overseers or bishops are also listed, though no individual is ever named in association with those responsibilities. Women did serve as patrons of house churches, such as Lydia.

Some historians have argued that the leadership of women in the Church was impacted by the Greco-Roman world relegating women’s responsibilities to households. as worship gatherings moved from private homes to public spaces by the end of second century, only men held positions of church leadership.

This distinction between men and women in ministry roles also reflected a decreased emphasis on the spiritual gifts of every believer. Eventually, the idea of spiritual gifts applied only to those holding ministerial offices. The term “laity” described everyone else, whose main role was receiving spiritual gifts from clergy.

Throughout Church history, distinct groups have challenged this limited understanding of spiritual gifts. The Montanists in the Early Church, Jansenists within Roman Catholicism, Molokans within Eastern Orthodoxy, and Irvingites within Protestantism argued for an understanding of ministry that involved all believers, including women, exercising spiritual gifts.

It was not until the impact of the Pentecostal Movement during the 20th century, however, that the expectation regarding spiritual gifts changed across multiple Christian traditions.

Pentecostals understand the Church to be the responsibility of all believers. If every believer can receive Spirit baptism and exercise spiritual gifts, all are responsible for the Church’s mission and worship.

Because every believer belongs to the Spirit, the Church belongs to every believer.

Besides the question of who is responsible for ministry, there has been significant historic debate regarding the marks and mission of the Church — that is, what it is and what it does.

An apostolic church declares God’s
Word by the Spirit’s power through the community of God’s people.

The most agreed upon statement of faith in historic Christianity is the Nicene Creed. This creed describes the Church as “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” body. Together, these four adjectives comprise the “marks of the church,” or identifying features.

“One” refers to the Church’s heavenly unity as one people of God to which every Christian belongs.

The Church can be called “holy” because God set apart that community to live by His Spirit in conformity to Christ.

“Catholic” does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church, but to the “universal” nature of the Church as the same community, regardless of time or space. The Church that met together in homes during the first century is the same one that meets in stadiums, sanctuaries, and underground locations all around the globe today.

Finally, the Church is apostolic, as the community the apostles or representatives of Jesus left behind.

For Roman Catholics, this meant each church recognized the authority of bishops, handed down from the apostles. For Protestants, each church showed apostolicity by proclaiming the same gospel message the apostles preached.

Protestants also added marks for the local church: preaching the gospel, administering the sacraments of water baptism and Communion, and exercising church discipline. All three relate to the Church’s calling to make disciples.

For Pentecostals, apostolicity is a matter not only of right polity and preaching, but also the Spirit’s active presence. A church based on traditional polity without God’s Word is one with no message or mission. A church based on the Word without the Spirit is one that will not multiply.

An apostolic church declares God’s Word by the Spirit’s power through the community of God’s people. This is what every Pentecostal church aspires to be.

In the AG

Articles 10 and 11 of the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths frame the mission of the Church in terms of four purposes: evangelism, worship, discipleship, and compassion.

These are God’s purposes for humanity. He wants to see people saved, cared for, and shaped into Christ’s image, glorifying Him with their worship and lives.

The Church is God’s agent for accomplishing this fourfold purpose.

Churches work together to evangelize the world, both locally and through global missions support.

The Fellowship’s founding was expressly for the sake of cooperation in world evangelism. To this day, the AG strategizes and shares resources of finances and workers in spreading the gospel.

Each church acts as a gathering of believers who glorify God through worship.

Worship doesn’t just describe music, but everything Christians do when we gather in Christ, such as singing, testifying, preaching, praying, giving, and engaging in fellowship. Because all are elements of worship, we should do each one in a way that glorifies God.

Further, worship includes the exercise of spiritual gifts, as 1 Corinthians 14:22–26 makes clear.

Each church works to disciple, edify, and build up believers to become who God is calling them to be.

The Church’s calling is to make disciples, not just converts. Discipleship means following Jesus in His teaching and example.

While we can work individually on becoming more like Jesus, God intends the local church to serve as a means by which the Holy Spirit forms us into Christ’s image.

Each congregation serves the world by demonstrating God’s love through tangible acts of compassion. To represent God to the world, we must meet the needs of people physically as well as spiritually (James 1:27).

Service is part of our witness. When people believe in what we do, they will be more willing to hear what we believe. Evangelism offers propositions about Jesus, while compassion provides illustrations of Him.

The local church exists for the sake of God’s glory, the good of the world God loves, and the growth of believers into Christ’s image.

God intends to carry out His will through the Church. Thus, the purposes of the Church reflect His priorities.

We are the community through which God proclaims and accomplishes His desire for evangelism, worship, discipleship, and compassion.

To be clear about what Article 10 is saying, it is not just the Assemblies of God that is accomplishing this fourfold purpose of God. The Church as a whole is fulfilling God’s will for humanity. But in that shared mission, the AG has a special role.

According to Article 10, “the Assemblies of God exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason for being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.”

Spirit-filled believers can work with signs and wonders in evangelism, exercise prayer language and spiritual songs in worship, and utilize spiritual gifts in discipleship and compassion.

While every church may carry out this fourfold mission, a Spirit-filled church can do so in the Spirit’s power. The AG bears witness of this power to the rest of the Church, even as the Church bears witness of salvation to the world.

The original Fundamental Truth statement on the Church was titled “The Church a Living Organism.” It included the same three biblical images as the current version: “the body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:22–23); “habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22); and “church of the firstborn … written in heaven” (Hebrews 12:23).

Faithfulness to reflect Jesus and lead the church toward spiritual health in its
fourfold purpose
is the measure of
ministry success.

Taken together, these images portray the Church as the place where God is found through the Spirit, Jesus is at work through His body, and our destiny is already set as the firstborn of God.

In the original version, the “living organism” language challenged any notion that the Church is an institutional organization. Early on, the AG’s founders resisted the idea of institutionalization for fear that too much structure would eventually replace reliance on God’s Spirit.

The Assemblies of God recognizes itself as a Fellowship of churches, respecting local church autonomy while governing through the selection of presbyters.

Each local gathering of believers should be a fully gifted body of Christ where every member can exercise spiritual gifts for the edification of the whole community.

At the same time, Christ has provided gifts of leadership to guide and oversee the Church in its mission. Respecting spiritual gifts includes acknowledging those of church leadership.

Article 11 defends church leadership as a “divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry … provided by our Lord” to guide the church in its fourfold mission.

God calls all believers to utilize their gifts in ministry, including some to unique service in church leadership (Romans 1:1).

The Assemblies of God recognizes God’s call and credentials ministers as a sign of their trustworthiness in leading AG communities spiritually, ethically, and doctrinally, according to a set standard of ministerial education.

Faithfulness to reflect Jesus and lead the church toward spiritual health in its fourfold purpose is the measure of ministry success.

In Pastoral Practice

In just over a century, the Pentecostal witness has expanded global missions, created an expectation of spiritual gifts among other churches, and shaped Christian worship around the world.

Local churches bear witness to the gospel’s truth. A Pentecostal church also testifies to the reality of God’s Spirit.

As leaders within Pentecostal communities, we must never compromise this unique witness. God does not expect a church to evangelize, worship, disciple, or serve compassionately apart from His Spirit’s leading and empowerment.

We must continue preaching that the Holy Spirit is for every believer. As Acts 2:39 says, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Additionally, we must continue teaching and encouraging the exercise of spiritual gifts in our communities. While this may look different depending on such factors as location and congregation size, we should not cut out spiritual gifts entirely.

We must create space for everyone to exercise their gifts. Otherwise, we are perpetuating the false notion that gifts belong only to a select few.

Pastors can help people discover their spiritual gifts by teaching about them, modeling their use, and offering practical guidance during services.

When we correct the misuse of a gift, the goal must not be to shut down someone, but to help that person grow and learn how to use spiritual gifts more appropriately.

Support of women in leadership positions also reflects our belief in the fully gifted body of Christ. From the beginning, the Pentecostal Movement has testified to the calling of both sons and daughters prophesying as God pours out His Spirit (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17).

The historic success of Pentecostal churches in evangelism, missions, and church planting and leadership has depended on the faithful contributions of women like Maria Woodworth-Etter, Carrie Judd Montgomery, Lillian Trasher, Rachel Sizelove, Marie Burgess Brown, Lilian B. Yeomans, Alice Reynolds Flower, Hattie Hammond, Alice Wood, Huldah Buntain, Beth Grant, Jeanne Mayo, and Donna Barrett.

Without the giftedness of women in all areas of ministry, the Church operates at half the power God intends.

Article 10 recognizes the Assemblies of God is part of the larger Church. We belong, as one Fellowship of churches, to the universal Church alongside our other brothers and sisters in Christ.

We do not believe we are the only church, the only true church, or the only Christian movement or tradition God is using. Rather, we recognize the Spirit’s work in every Christian denomination, fellowship, and tradition that proclaims the gospel, glorifies Christ’s name, makes disciples, and cares for the hurting.

As pastors, we can cooperate with other congregations in the Church’s fourfold mission. We can do outreach together, worship together, teach together, and minister to the poor together.

We do not have to agree on everything to recognize one another as belonging to the same God, Lord, Spirit, faith, baptism and Body (Ephesians 4:4–6).

God calls people to assemble in Christ’s name so the lost can receive salvation, and so believers can worship Him, grow in faith and knowledge, and show His compassion to a world in need.

Although God, by His Spirit, is active throughout the world, the local church remains the place where one should always be able to find His Word, work, and will.

God’s answer to a lost world is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Church remains the best place to understand and inhabit the gospel.

In that sense, the Church carries the hope of the entire world — a world God still loves and seeks to claim for eternity.

This article appears in the Spring 2025 issue of Influence magazine.